


loving you

by honeycombkiss



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: (but other sexual activities), (no sexual intercourse), Dry Humping, F/M, First Times, Kissing, Mileven, Post-Snow Ball (Stranger Things), Sleepy Cuddles, Young Love, actually really fluffy, and other cute things like reading in bed together and hanging out at the quarry, pre stranger things 3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-15
Updated: 2019-09-15
Packaged: 2020-10-17 08:43:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20618207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/honeycombkiss/pseuds/honeycombkiss
Summary: There had been a fire in her lower belly that kept growing all day. When she thought about him—about his shiny black hair and bright onyx eyes and the way it felt to be held by him—the fire burst into fireworks in her chest. She had never imagined that things could become more or better than they had been the day she’d met him. But, somehow, everyday got better and brighter. Especially lately.//or, Mike and El leading up to their first time.





	loving you

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Halielove](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Halielove/gifts).

> This is for my beautiful girl. Happy belated birthday. I never thought I’d write you fanfiction for your birthday again, but here we are. I am so grateful for you. Also grateful for Mike and El for reminding me what young love felt like, and how magical it is to meet and fall in love with the love of your life at such a tender age.  
Also, side note, this is about two hormonal teenagers who are in love. While there is no penetration, there is sexual content. I believe it to be completely unrealistic to think that this kind of thing wouldn’t happen. Don’t like, don’t read!

The blanketed floor of Mike’s basement was comfortable under their hips. Mike and El laid facing one another in their infamous blanket fort, a blanket pulled closed against the opening despite the two being the only ones in the Wheeler house. It was habit; the pair liked the darkness and coziness that came with hiding away in their fort.

Mike’s hand laid softly against El’s hip, fingers splayed against her stomach and back. Her overalls were bunched at her hips, as well, leaving a thick layer of fabric between his hand and her skin. Her curls lay against the side of her face, fanning out over the pillow they were currently sharing. Her hair had grown considerably since she’d come back into his life only a short couple of months earlier. He was obsessed with it. He trailed his fingers up her side—and she shivered against his touch—and lazily ran his fingers into the wavy, loose curls at the back of her neck. She sighed happily against his lips, and he couldn’t help but smile back.

As usual, their kisses had begun slow, soft and warm. He’d moved his lips against her own, losing himself in the feeling of her warmth. Lately, though, their kisses didn’t stay soft for long. Now, their kisses grew until there was a franticness about them. El’s lips were nearly bruising as she pressed them against his own, her warmth lighting every part of his being.

El rocked against him as they kissed, and his stomach was on fire. In the distant parts of his mind, he knew he should stop; pull away, ask if she knew what she wanted, ask where this was _going_, but he couldn’t. He didn’t have the strength to pull away from her, not while she gasped against his lips, one hand in his hair, the other gripped tightly at his waist. He managed to part for a moment enough to gasp in a breath, though El was having no separation. Instead, she pressed her lips against his jawline and then just below his earlobe.

They hadn’t talked about any of it. It wasn’t that he didn’t _want_ to, but that he wasn’t sure _how_ to. He felt none of the awkwardness Lucas had confessed to weeks earlier, telling Mike that he was scared to talk to his girlfriend about the progression of their relationship. But Mike didn’t want to freak El out. He didn’t want to unintentionally put any pressure on her. He was happy—so fucking happy—with where their relationship currently was. Just sitting beside her or holding her hand or reading comics together or sharing Eggos was more than enough. After 353 days apart, the little moments were enormous.

But things had been escalating lately. There had been touching and groping and now this. And Mike was _struggling_ to know how to continue. These were completely uncharted territories, and the only person he wanted to explore them with was his beautiful, telekinetic girlfriend—

“Mike?” –who knew him just a little _too_ well. “Are you okay?” Lost in his thoughts, he’d pulled away from their kisses for just a beat too long.

“Mhmm,” Mike murmured, his lips brushing against her soft cheek. Sometimes words failed him—which no one but El would ever believe, since she was the only one able to render him speechless.

“You sure?” She pressed, her eyes searching his for something he wasn’t sure. He attempted to keep his thoughts from showing across his features.

“Yeah, El, I’m sure,” he murmured, pressing his lips against her cheek now, watching her eyes light up and her cheeks dimple as she smiled.

“Okay,” she moved her face, attempting to catch his lips in a kiss. Mike knew that this was his only chance to gain control over the situation. (But he seriously did not want to. At all.)

“El,”

“Hm?” She pressed another kiss against his jawline, inching towards his ear and he was so weak for her. (_So gone for her_, is what Steve said, but what does Steve really know?)

“El,” he searched his brain for something—_anything_—to say to her. His usually overactive imagination was blank, his mind only occupied by thoughts like _El is so beautiful,_ and _I want to kiss her so badly_.

“Hm?” she repeated, and he was unsure if she even realized it. Her eyes were still closed, her hips still dangerously close to his own, her lips dusting his cheekbone.

He decided not to answer when she pressed her lips against his own again, the smooth slide of her chapsticked lips against his was completely addicting.

Later, after Hopper’s signature two horn honks sound from outside the Wheeler home and Mike walks El to the door, a long, lingering kiss shared between the two and Mike closed the door behind her, he couldn’t help but press his back against the closed door. Nothing happened. But he _wanted_ it to. And he wondered if—hoped—she wanted something more, too.

X

A week later found Mike and El in the exact same predicament. It was late-afternoon, Mike having arrived at the cabin sometime before lunch. He’d biked over, bringing with him microwave popcorn and a couple of VHS’s to choose from. El had prepared grilled cheese sandwiches—more like burnt-cheese sandwiches, he’d teased her just because the light flush of pink that brushed the tops of her cheeks was too pretty not to.

They’d shared lunch on the couch, the movie playing on the TV in front of them. They’d popped the popcorn, and shared a can of Dr. Pepper—even if Mike preferred Coke, because canned Coke could be trigging to El.

Now, though, with lunch finished and the popcorn bowl abandoned, the two sat facing one another, exchanging long and languid kisses. El kneeled, sitting on her legs, while Mike sat before her, his legs crossed in front of him. El had a hand tangled in Mike’s hair, at the base of his neck, her favorite place. She held his head up in her grasp, and he couldn’t help but melt into her.

He was only aware of her, of all the places they were touching. Somehow, they got closer and closer as their kisses gained confidence. It was not long before El began inching closer and closer to him. She had a hand on his shoulder, heavy and warm. She pressed firmly against him until he fell back. Their lips detached, as he gasped, and his back landed against the arm of the couch. He was about to protest—about to say _something_—when El attached her lips to his once more. Her hand was back at the back of his neck, really keeping it up at this point. Her body hovered over his own, and he lost himself.

There was nothing but her lips against his, and the feeling of fire just underneath every inch of his skin where his body was now touching El’s. From shoulder to hip, his body was warm where it pressed flush against her own. They were separated by their jeans and sweaters, and it felt like both too much and too little to Mike at the moment.

And just as the week before, as her kisses got harder, her hips began rocking towards his own. It was electric, and he couldn’t help the low groan that elicited his lips between their kisses. He felt his cheeks flush in momentarily embarrassment, but it quickly passed when El pulled away and locked eyes with him. Her eyes were a warm and golden caramel, but there was something _more_; something Mike hadn’t ever seen there before.

“Mike?” She asked, her voice curious, warm and breathless. It was so familiar, El turning to Mike for answers to her questions, but there was just so much _more_ in the moment, so much that Mike didn’t _know_ or _understand_. And, fuck, he had no idea how to answer her unasked question.

He was about to blubber out some lame-ass answer to a question she hadn’t even asked, when instead she rocked her hips forward again. He bit his lip against the groan that bubbled up in his chest but was unable to stop it. El nodded her head, leaning back down to capture his lips in yet another kiss. It was passion filled and heart-racing and Mike just felt so_ much_. Which was exactly when Hopper’s secret knock sounded on the cabin door.

Quickly, they pair flew apart. El fell out of his lap, putting distance between them. By the look on her face, it appeared to be a reflex more than a choice. (And he knew, knew that she doesn’t _care _who found them together. And it wasn’t that he cared, either, except that it was _Hopper_.)

As they jumped apart, Mike couldn’t help but notice the obvious state they were both in. His chest was rapidly rising and falling, as he attempted and failed to catch his breath. El’s lips looked thoroughly kissed—a fact that made Mike want to lean over and kiss her again. Mike knew his hair was in disarray, thanks to El’s roaming hands. And the VHS tape was playing the credits of the movie.

At once, El closed her eyes and the front door locks began to slide while the movie also rewound back twenty minutes or so. She caught the blood before it had time to stain her cupids bow, and Mike quickly spun around so he was facing the television.

“Hey, Hop,” El greeted, still sounding slightly out of breath. Mike did his best not to look over at her, not wanting to stare at her with his _El look_ as the others called it.

“Hey, kid,” Hopper nodded at her, turning to lock the house up again. He hadn’t spared the couch a second look yet, for which Mike was grateful. He took a moment to reach up and smooth down his hair in what he hoped was a helpful manner. “Wheeler,”

“Chief,” Mike offered lamely.

“Have you two eaten?” Hopper asked, taking off his hat and his jacket and hanging them on the coat rack by the door.

“Not yet,” El answered, adjusting the blanket in her lap. Mike could feel her gaze on him, though he resolutely refused to glance over at her.

“I was thinking Hot Pockets,” Hopper offered, just then walking past them and looking at them for the first time. He raised an eyebrow, glancing from Mike to El and back again.

“We weren’t being stupid,” El spoke up, and Mike couldn’t help but glance over at her, as she looked up at Hopper with the perfect picture of innocence. Mike suddenly felt unsure if it was an act, if El would lie to Hopper like that.

“Y’know,” Hopper grumbled, walking towards the kitchen. “Somehow I really don’t believe that.”

“Friends don’t lie,” El countered, confirming Mike’s suspicions. (Although, it did raise many questions in Mike’s mind. Questions like _What does being stupid mean to El?_ and _Would El tell Hopper if something did happen? _Which stressed the urgency in Mike’s mind to talk to El before things continued to progress.)

X

That night, Mike fell into bed with his heart lodged in his throat. Only one person on his mind; her curls and her dimple and her warmth. The feeling of her bruising kisses like a ghost still haunting his lips. Their afternoon playing on repeat in his mind; just as he got to their interruption, his mind looped back to the beginning. He kept thinking: what happens when we don’t stop?

If this was where things were headed, Mike knew he had to prepare. Because it had to be perfect. Not one detail could be spared. He hadn’t ever thought of this moment, or pictured what it would be like to connect with another person in such a deeply intimate way, but he knew now that it had to be El. There was no one else. There were words under the surface—words like _forever_ and _love_—words that neither of them had murmured yet. He wanted to. He _needed_ to, she deserved to know. And if they were going to become physically intimate, he wanted to do it _right_. She had to know the full truth, because _friends don’t lie_.

He couldn’t concentrate on anything else. As he laid in his bed that night—book in his grasp—he found himself reading the same paragraph for the fourth time. He set the book down, done pretending to himself that his mind was on anything else but El. His thoughts were a swirl of her smile, her bruising kisses, her lips after they’d been kissing, her hand on his hip. And just as a thought of the press of her hips against his entered his mind, it was followed by the uncertainty of the entire situation. Wouldn’t they need romantic music? Or candles? El meant more to him than anything in the world, if he was going to show her that, it had to be perfect.

X

When they talked over their supercomm’s one night, Mike tried to bring it up several times, but the words always failed him. (Which was frustrating. He felt enormously empathetic to El’s constant struggle of stringing together sentences.)

The conversation started and stoped a couple of times due to his inability to say _exactly_ what he wanted to.

The first time, they’d been talking only about five minutes. El was expressing how much she missed him, while he agreed whole-heartedly.

“Hey, El?” Mike tried, a surge of bravery coursing through him.

“Yeah?”

“So yesterday, well actually it’s more like lately, but anyway, we’ve been making out lately and sometimes we do _more_ than kiss,”

“I like it,” El cut him off, her voice coming through his speaker. It made his heart stutter, and all of his resolve faded away. (Why hadn’t he thought to ask her what it meant to her? It was pretty obvious.)

“Yeah, me too, El.” He agreed, rolling onto his side to bury his head into his pillow.

El changed the subject, asking him if he’d read the rest of the comic they were currently on. (Dustin and Mike had nearly identical comic book collections. So, sometimes Dustin would lend his copies to El so that she and Mike could still read together while they were apart during the school week.) They spent time discussing how they felt about Jean Grey’s decision and whether Cyclops should’ve reacted in that way.

When there was a small lull in the conversation several minutes later, Mike decided to try again. He sat up, propping himself against the wall, sprawling his legs out in front of himself.

“So,” he started, cursing himself for how lame he sounded. “Are you, I mean, do you want to-”

“Are you okay?” El cut off his rambling once more, something she had been doing lately. He was grateful she was comfortable enough to do so, because sometimes he couldn’t stop his word vomit.

“Yeah, I am, I’m just trying to say that maybe we should be more careful so we’re not caught like _that_.”

“Like what?” She asked, and he wanted to face palm at how ridiculously confusing and vague he was being.

“Y’know, when we’re making out.”

“Oh?” She sounded so unsure, he felt the urge _again_ to slap his palm against his forehead at his stupidity.

He wished so badly he could see her face, and with that thought he let go of his expectation to have the perfect conversation over their supercomm’s. This way of communication was great when they didn’t have a choice, but they both preferred to talk face-to-face. It was easier for El—she could watch his facial features and she didn’t have to use her powers to strengthen the connection.

“I just mean, like, so that we don’t have to stop so abruptly, y’know?” He back pedaled. If El was comfortable in public—or just in front of people she trusted—he did not want to shame her. Because there really wasn’t anything wrong. (Except maybe pissing off Hopper, but Mike figured they would cross that bridge when they got there. Or he’d just insure that _never_ happened.)

“Oh,” her voice was more understanding this time, but Mike still felt like shit.

“Or y’know, whatever you’re comfortable with.”

“Okay,” she agreed. “Kissing isn’t bad, Mike.”

This time he did face palm.

“I know, that’s not what I meant. I’m sorry, El, just forget I ever said anything.”

“Why?”

Mike sighed pathetically, before pressing the button on the side of the walkie. “It’s nothing. I like kissing you and if people see it, oh well.”

“I agree,” El’s voice sounded better, and Mike let out a sigh of relief. “It makes me happy.”

“Me too, El.”

When they said goodnight, Mike threw himself against his pillows, letting out a frustrated groan. Why was it so difficult to say what he wanted to?

X

He couldn’t help himself from exaggerating the entire situation in his mind.

He’d thought over every possible setting; would it be better at his house or hers? He figured they’d have the least chance of interruption at the cabin. But what if Hopper came home early? The mental list in his head kept getting longer. Things like making a romantic mix tape, finding candles, what to wear, and how to make it perfect for her.

He’d already borrowed candles from his parent’s bathroom, and he remembered enough from the mortifying health class to steal condoms from Nancy’s bedside table. (Which, Nancy having a stash of condoms was _disgusting_.) Just the thought of the condoms in the hiding places he’d found—underneath his bed and in the pocket of his jacket behind the blanket fort in the basement and in the secret compartment inside his backpack—was enough to make his heart jump into his throat. It was overwhelming, but in the best way possible, in the way that everything always was with El. It was more than he knew how to say; which is why he hadn’t said a word to anyone. He wasn’t sure he would be able to.

(And who was there? Lucas was a mess of embarrassment, refused to even talk about _kissing_ Max. And things with Max may be exponentially better than they had been before, but they weren’t _good_ by any means; plus, the thought of talking about sex with Max was kind of horrifying. Dustin was too scientific, too matter of fact, which was _not_ what Mike wanted to hear. Will wouldn’t understand, wouldn’t _want _to.)

(Mike had considered Nancy, Jonathan or Steve for about _half_ a second.)

He knew there was one person, though, who he needed to talk to about this. But saying anything to El still felt like breaking the moment or applying pressure; two things he seriously didn’t want to do. And there was still the problem—the one he’d tried to remedy the day before during their supercomm conversation—of keeping it secret from their parents. Because he didn’t want her to lie, but he also knew Hopper might kill him if he knew.

The conversation would come one day soon, Mike told himself, all the while knowing he was half lying to himself.

X

That one day soon came quicker than Mike had anticipated. It happened suddenly and completely out of the blue.

“What do you think,” Mike began, summoning all his bravery. He wanted to be calm and able to get his point across without confusion or misunderstanding. “about not telling Hopper about this? Or the other guys?”

El was quiet for a moment, as she often was, no doubt pondering over his words and considering her own.

“But _friends don’t lie_,” El finally said, confusion apparent.

“Yeah, you’re right.” Mike sighed, his earlier bravado feeling like a façade, guilt replacing it. He shouldn’t be telling El that sometimes lying was okay, especially if it made her uncomfortable. “I never want you to have to lie, or anything. I just thought, I don’t know, that we could keep it a secret, just between us.”

“Oh,” recognition dawned across El’s features. “I know about secrets.”

Mike wasn’t surprised. El was astonishingly smart, picking up on things quickly. She was able to recall information at an incredibly quick rate, and she learned new things with ease. He was constantly amazed by her.

“I’m a secret,” El pointed out, a twinge of bitterness slipping through her voice.

“But that’s not a bad thing,” Mike was quick to assure her. “It’s good, because it keeps you safe, and that’s like, seriously, the most important thing to me.”

“I know. It just makes me sad sometimes,” she had a sad smile across her face, and Mike wasn’t sure if she had meant to.

“Yeah, me too.” Mike smiled at her, and he didn’t mean to keep going, turning into a complete sap, “When you’re sad, it makes me sad, too.”

But it didn’t seem to phase El, instead she nodded her ascent. “I’m sad when you’re sad, too,”

They shared a smile then; a real, genuinely happy one. Mike loved these moments, where they sat together and somehow their thoughts always aligned. Mike was overwhelmingly grateful to share these moments with El; that they trusted each other enough to open up their hearts to one another.

“And maybe it’ll be safe, for now, to not tell the others about this,” Mike made the connection, liking the way the idea felt in his chest. Maybe it wasn’t so bad to ask this of El. “But only if you’re okay with that.” Mike added, needing to stress that this had to be her choice, too.

“There are good and bad secrets,” El seemed to be thinking aloud, though she took both of his hands into her own, looking straight into his eyes. “I want this to be our good secret. Because sharing secrets is special, and I want to share this with you.”

Mike couldn’t help the smile that he certainly knew was dopey. Somehow El always knew just what to say. (Hundreds of memories flood him—of El reassuring him of things, teaching him things, protecting him, helping him to understand her and others better—and he’s so warm.)

“Are you sure?” Mike pressed, needing to be absolutely certain.

“Yes,” El nodded exaggeratedly.

“And you can change your mind later!” Mike told her. “Just, let me know beforehand?”

“Okay,” El agreed, smiling over at him. “You too.”

Mike was momentarily confused—somewhat caught up in the sudden desire to capture her lips with his own; it wouldn’t be hard, as they were sitting very closely. “Huh?”

“If you change your mind, you tell me, too.” El clarified, though there was a mysterious glint her eyes and Mike was sure she knew what he was thinking. It was confirmed, though, when she licked her bottom lip.

“I will.” Mike murmured, his mind completely distracted.

X

The weather was finally starting to turn. Instead of frosted over woods, icy streets, and biting air, Hawkins was being enveloped in Spring. It made for beautiful days exploring the town and hiding in the woods just the two of them.

That day the pair were going on what Mike had called a ‘mini adventure’. El had been looking forward to it for days. When Mike arrived at the cabin, El was already waiting for him. She’d dressed quickly that morning and sat around waiting. She could sense when he was close, so it came as no surprise when he gave the special knock against the cabin’s door.

She greeted him with a kiss, one that he reciprocated happily. She could feel his smile against her lips, and the warmth of the hand he placed at the top of her arm. She reached up onto her tiptoes, hoping to get better leverage in order to lick his bottom lip.

(Sometimes, when they kissed, she couldn’t help herself. She had no thoughts except ways to get closer to Mike, and to feel that tingling sensation all across her body.)

El pulled away after a moment, feeling very breathless. She pulled at his hand, and they skipped down the cabin stairs and towards Mike’s bike. El excitedly hopped on the back of Mike’s bike. (Since his growth spurt, he’d had to get a new bike. It had been bittersweet, but they fit so much better on this new one.) She wore his backpack so she could fit behind him better. She wrapped her arms around his middle, fingers lacing against his stomach.

“Ready?” He asked, attempting to balance them both.

“Ready,” she confirmed, picking her legs up just as he did, a thrill running through her stomach as he began pedaling.

She loved the wind blowing through her hair; as it began to grow out, it whipped around her face as they flew down the road. Mike was the fastest bike rider in the party, and El was secretly ecstatic about that. It was much more exciting to zoom down the road, then it was to teeter along. The more they road together, the better Mike became, which meant they got to the Quarry fairly quickly.

When they arrived at the Quarry, Mike propped his bike up and El laid down the backpack beside it. He grabbed her hand, lacing their fingers and pulling her along to the edge of the water.

Mike leaned down to pick up a rock and she watched him throw it across the edge of the water. He’d told her last time that he was trying to skip the rock across the surface; but he couldn’t quite do it. She’d watched him try the last time they’d come, but it seemed he was still unable to do it.

El couldn’t help but giggle as he failed to skip the rock again.

“Hey!” Mike exclaimed, turning to give her a fake glare. She couldn’t help but giggle again. “Okay, you try then,”

“Alright,” she agreed, bending down to grab a rock. (She refused to let go of Mike’s hand, instead tugging him down with her.) Mike had told her that the rock should be flat and smooth, and luckily there were a lot of options.

“Found one!” She exclaimed triumphantly. They both stood up and she concentrated on holding the rock the way she’d seen Mike do it. She flung the rock into the Quarry, though it only plopped in, rippling the water around it.

She glanced from the water, and up at Mike. He had a laugh on his lips, though he didn’t outright mock her. Instead, it felt playful, just as hers had.

“I’m gonna try again,” she told him, pulling him back down with her in order to grab another rock.

The second try went just as well as the first. She stuck her tongue out, attempting to concentrate. She furrowed her eyebrows, clearly exasperated.

“Yeah, I’m not really sure how it works,” Mike told her when she failed again. “I mean, like I understand _how_ it’s supposed to work, but that doesn’t seem to help at all.”

“Oh well,” El said, repeating the phrase she’d heard a couple of weeks ago.

Instead of focusing on their inability to skip rocks, El kicked off her shoes, looking up at Mike as she did so. He seemed to catch her drift, following her lead and toeing off his own sneakers. They both stood now in the muddy, mucky dirt surrounding the Quarry in only their socks. They shared a look, and both burst into smiles. (El was learning that Mike didn’t laugh a lot, but sometimes he broke into these large _grins_ that sometimes elicited giggles. They were quiet, but they made her chest warm. They were her favorite. Sometimes, she made it a challenge to see how many smile-giggles she could elicit when they were together.)

“It’s so mushy,” El commented, feeling it seep through her socks.

“Yeah,” Mike agreed, making a face that made her giggle.

She loved watching his face for his reactions. (He was the best person to study, as his face was quite expressive. Lucas said that Mike wore his heart on his sleeve, and El really had no idea what that meant. But sometimes he’d look at her with something that made her stomach flutter and she felt _so_ loved and she wondered if that was what Lucas had meant. Maybe he’d meant to say that Mike wore his heart on his face but had forgotten the word.)

They fumbled, leaning against one another in order to peel their socks off. They fell against one another in a crumpled mess. El almost slipped multiple times, but she was able to keep herself standing by pressing her body weight against Mike’s.

“Let’s walk in the water,” El suggested, gesturing towards the water. She wanted to feel the cool water against her ankles and imagine what it would be like to swim in the summertime. Mike had told her so many stories about what it was like, and she wondered what it would feel like. If she’ll like it, or if it might be too frightening. The open air would feel nice, and the warm sunlight, too. She cannot always predict how a situation would turn out, or how she’d react to something new. The idea of trying, though, was always important to her.

“That’s a good idea,” Mike agreed. “Except the waters freezing this time of year.”

“I remember,” El nodded. “From when we came last time.” It had only been a couple of weeks ago, El knew.

“You’re right,” Mike smiled. “It’s just interesting that although it’s warmer outside than it has been, that the water is still frigid.”

El nodded, filing away the information. Warmer weather, apparently, did not mean warmer water. Mike was right, it was kind of interesting.

Together, the pair walked to the edge of the water. When the shallow, murky water hit their feet El winced and Mike jumped slightly. El couldn’t help but smile up at him, although he didn’t appear to notice. She didn’t mind, it was exciting to watch Mike when he was busy.

El kicked the water with her feet, half because it was fun and half to keep her feet from going numb. She hopped from one foot to another, holding onto Mike tightly to keep balance. Mike followed her lead, picking up his feet, too. Watching the water move at her command gave her an idea.

“I’m gonna try to jump the rock again,” El said with determination.

“Skip it?” Mike asked, and El nodded.

“Yeah, that.”

She pushed her hand into the cold water and grabbed the first rock her hand came across. It was covered in a green slime that caused her to drop it at first. She tried again, this time with a firmer grasp. She didn’t have to ask with words, instead just giving Mike her best ‘_help me’_ face.

“It’s moss. It’s just a plant that grows in cushions in damp habitats.” Mike supplied helpfully.

“Will it still skip?”

“Oh yeah,” Mike nodded. “It shouldn’t affect the rocks ability to skip across the surface.”

“If I can do it,” El smiled up at Mike, a plan forming in her mind. “Then I win?”

“Win what?” Mike asked. “Bragging rights?”

“Or a prize,” she thought back to last weekend when the party had gathered around the Byers’ living room. Dustin had challenged the party to an arm-wrestling contest, boasting that he’d beat them all. Dustin had insisted that whomever he beat would then owe him a dollar. Dustin was only able to beat Mike and Will. El had won—and she’d only just _barely_ used her powers, to which Dustin had deemed unfair. Mike and Lucas had backed her up, insisting that Dustin hadn’t specifically told her not to use her powers.

“What kind of prize?” Mike asked.

El asked for the first thing that came to mind, the first thing that seemed to always be on her mind lately. “A kiss.”

Mike beamed at her. “Yeah, okay, I guess I could do that.” He was teasing, so she just rose her eyebrows at him, and turned her face away from Mike’s, hoping he wouldn’t notice her shift. She gripped the mossy rock, closed her eyes, and used her powers to skip the rock perfectly

“What the hell!” Mike exclaimed, and so although El hadn’t seen her rock skip across the water, she knew it must’ve looked amazing. “How the hell?!”

The blood dripping from her nose gave her away. She cursed under her breath; upset she’d forgotten to wipe it away before Mike could notice.

“Hey, cheater!” Mike exclaimed, though his voice still sounded happy and playful to her ears.

“Whoops,” El shrugged, attempting to keep up her act. She wanted to see how Mike would react. “But you never said I couldn’t use my powers,” she used the logic they’d given Dustin last weekend.

Mike’s whole face lit up in a grin, and a full-blown laugh fell from his lips. It surprised El, to see such open happiness on her boyfriend’s face. It was _pretty_, and she didn’t want it to stop. So, she did the first thing that came to mind; she kicked a stream of cold water at his shins, wetting his pants where he’d stopped pulling them up. A smirk—paired with a silly look in his eyes—danced across his face, followed by him kicking her back.

She kicked the water again, this time a bit too forcefully as a large wall of water wet Mike’s pants. He jumped and shrieked, which caused more water to spray around her. Although it was cold, she couldn’t help but get him back again, the two going back and forth for several moments.

“Do I still get my prize?” El asked, now that the pair were wet and cold, yet still giggling.

“I guess so,” Mike pretended to be put out. “You did skip the rock.”

El didn’t waste another moment, rising onto the balls of her feet to get closer to his lips. She placed her arms around his shoulders, as it was one of her favorite ways to pull him closer. She tilted her head up, pressing her lips against his as firmly as she could. His lips were soft, and his embrace was warm.

When he pulled away to catch his breath, El sighed happily and pressed a kiss to his jacket covered shoulder. She put her hands up to the crown of his head and pushed his head down closer to her. He was so tall and sometimes that was just too much distance. She wanted to place kisses against the tops of his freckled cheeks, and when he was close enough, she did just that.

X

One morning on Mike’s spring break, Mike biked to the cabin within thirty minutes of waking. He’d dressed quickly and gone out into the morning. The sun was still climbing the horizon, and Hawkins was still sleepy.

When he was within range, he pressed the side of his supercomm attached to his bike, “Mage?” he called out her Dungeons and Dragon character class, following Hopper’s rule of keeping the radio waves clear of any evidence.

There was nothing but static. Frowning, he pressed the button again, “Mage? Are you there?”

“I’m here,” came her voice a moment later, breaking through the static. Mike couldn’t help but smile.

“Hey, I’m on my way.”

“Good. Guess what?”

“What?”

Then, like a lot of days, El proceeded to tell Mike about the dream she’d had the night before. Sometimes, it took her a long time to fumble around her words. This morning, she couldn’t come up with a way to explain wandering an empty field in search of water. (_“Thirsty?” he prompted gently, wondering if he’d found the word for her. She responded enthusiastically, thanking him._) But she had such a lovely voice, Mike thought, that listening to her try and talk about her dream was like living in a dream, one that he had imagined for 353 days. He’d never tire, he knew, of having her back in his life.

When he arrived, he hid his bike behind a cluster of trees and walked the rest of the way to the cabin, just as Hopper had shown him months ago. Only then it had been snowing, and now the brightening sun cast rays and shadows everywhere. Mike jumped the trip wire and climbed the creaky porch stairs. He knocked his own invented secret knock and waited seconds before El flung the front door open. She smiled brightly, her frizzy, curled hair bouncing around her face. She was wearing an open flannel over a plain white shirt, and her jeans clung to her waist. She stepped aside so he could slide in beside her, slamming the door in his wake. She slid the locks back with her mind, turning to give him her full undivided attention.

“Hi,” she greeted easily, happily.

“Hey,” he couldn’t help the laugh that followed, since they were greeting each other after having had a long conversation already.

“I’m glad you’re here,” she told him, closing the distance between them to wrap her arms around his waist. He smiled, hugging her back, leaning down to press his head against the top of her own. He held her for a moment longer.

This morning his backpack was filled with comic books, his dungeon master binder and the book he’d tried to read the night before. Lately, El had taken to reading her _Sweet Valley High_ books Mike had grabbed for her at the library. (He totally didn’t mind only have three books checked out at a time, if it meant that El could have the other two.) They’d sit side by side on her bed and read, silence stretching out until Mike absolutely had to discuss what had happened in his book or comic. She always listened. Sometimes, El would interrupt the silence to ask a question or point out an unfamiliar word. Often, Mike would be able to explain, though sometimes he’d have to rely on the dictionary that sat on her bedside table.

(They especially liked reading in the early morning, while they were still sleep-soft. Then they’d have lunch, and often go for a walk behind the cabin, or Mike would bike the two of them to the quarry. Afternoons were for adventure, but mornings were for snuggling.)

“You wanna-” Mike started, gesturing to her open bedroom door, but El cut him off, tugging him down to her and kissing him enthusiastically. He only took a moment to register the moment, before he began kissing her back in earnest. She pushed on the straps of his backpack, until it fell to the floor with a thud that they both ignored.

Mike felt insatiable, could tell that El felt the same. El had his shirt grasped in fistfuls, tugging him further down to her. He went easily, placing both hands on the small of her back, cradling her body close to his own.

Mike barely realized it as she backed him up towards the couch. It was little movements, until the back of his calves hit the couch and the surprise jolted him back and away from El. She giggled as he lost his balance and tumbled down onto the couch seat. She had a hand propped up against her chin, and a large grin taking over her face, showcasing her dimple. He knew he looked stunned.

He gestured for her to sit beside him, but instead she climbed into his lap, fumbling gracelessly.

“What’re you doing?” He asked, breathlessly.

“What does it look like?” Her voice was all teasing sass. (He loved this new emerging side of her; how she picked up on the snarking and gentle jest of the others. How her vocabulary was becoming a thing of her own.)

For a moment, he wanted to ask something dumb like _Where did you learn this?_ or _What does this mean?_ Instead, he just smiles at her. It was kind of funny from this angle, as her face was a couple of inches above his own. He wanted to reach up and capture her lips, experience it from her point of view. Instead, he waited.

She was a warm and heavy weight against his lap, but he decided he never wants her to move away. It was like she was always meant to settle there.

She sat still for a moment, just peering into his eyes, before she placed her hands on his shoulders.

It’s wonderful, he decided, because they get to learn everything together.

She leaned down to him, and he rose, meeting her halfway. The second their lips met, the familiar magic that filled Mike’s body took over. It was overwhelming, as all of his senses were stimulated by her. He could taste her cherry chapstick, and he was hyper aware of her hands sliding up into his hair and the way she kissed him over and over again.

As minutes passed between them, neither pulled away. Mike didn’t think he could even if he tried. Although, Mike felt her gasp against his lips before she pulled away to fully catch her breath. Mike really couldn’t help himself when he chased her lips, peppering kisses against her puffy lips. She smiled, saying his name around a giggle.

“Hm?” he answered, though it must’ve been subconscious, because she doesn’t answer with anything more than a light and teasing kiss. Her hands found their way to his hair, running her fingers through his thick tendrils. It was easy to lazily place a kiss against the corner of her mouth, lips sliding against her soft skin until he was kissing her cheek. It was just a bit more of a slide, until his lips made contact with her jawline. She shivered against him, which was actually amazing. His grip on her waist tightened, and she leaned closer into his body.

Mike’s fingers found the collar of her plaid overshirt when their lips met again. He played with the fraying edges of the collar; his hands gently placed on her shoulders. Mike didn’t realize it for a moment, but his hands began to push the garment off of her shoulders, until her bare shoulders and arms are showing, the softness under his fingertips. Mike stopped at her elbows, as if realizing what he’d done. He pulled away from her, and El just nodded her head, pulling her arms out. She was wearing a white muscle tank underneath. Mike loved the light dusting of freckles on the tops of her shoulders, and so it was only naturally to lean down and press a gentle kiss there.

El reached for the hem of Mike’s shirt, and Mike didn’t have the power to stop her. (He didn’t _want_ to stop her.) Instead, he pulled his lips away from her own and helped her pull it over his head. The early spring air that filled the cabin chilled the bare skin of his back and chest, though El radiated warmth when she ran her fingers from his shoulders to his collarbones, her lips reattaching to his own.

And as she’d been doing lately, her hips jut forward, almost as if she hadn’t meant for them to. Though, when he groaned—the electricity (_sexual electricity_ Dustin had called it) in the room growing—she rocked forward again.

Mike’s body moved without direct thought, as he pulled away from her lips and began planting kisses along her skin. She was warm against his lips, her fingers digging into the skin at his shoulders when he trailed kisses across her jawline. It was a slow and steady pace, carrying him to the place where her neck met the corner of her jaw. It was there that he placed a warm and sloppy kiss.

“Mmm, feels good.” El’s voice sounded like a moan, and it took everything in Mike to not do something drastic, like bite at her collarbones, or slip his hand even farther up her shirt.

Pure happiness and bliss were present on El’s features, and Mike was overwhelmed by it. (Mike would never not be devastated for El and the life that was taken from her. She had already come so far since he first met her, but it wasn’t always smooth sailing. He was amazed by her every single day, and this was one of those moments. She was ethereal; her hair glowing golden in the sunshine, a smile growing across her very kissed lips, her dimple appearing.) They may not know everything, but this was natural. It was just the two of them, chasing their passion.

Mike pressed his lips firmly against hers once more, unable to stop himself. Her puffy-kissed lips were irresistible. And so, Mike lost awareness of anything that wasn’t El’s lips and hands and warm body against his own.

He was shocked back to reality, though, when El grabbed his wrists and attempted to push his hands farther underneath her tank. Her skin was so warm underneath his palms, her chest rising and falling rapidly, her kisses bruising. Mike pulled away, something that felt like a mix of frustration and panic rising in his throat. He wanted this with El—wanted everything with her—but he couldn’t help feeling the pressure that had taken over his thoughts lately. El deserved to be treated right, and all his expectations came swimming to the surface.

“Mike?” Her voice was confused, her eyes imploring. Mike couldn’t help but groan; El was still sitting in his lap, her lips swollen, caramel eyes wide, her hand placed on his inner thigh. He wasn’t going to make it. “Is everything okay?”

“It was supposed to be special,” Mike blurted, doing his best to keep the whine out of his voice, which was difficult.

“Special?” El tilted her head, like she did when she knew the word but wasn’t sure how it related to the current situation.

“Yeah, special,” Mike answered, taking her hand back in his own. “Like, better and greater than usual. Like, not just a normal moment.” Mike tried his best, watching her face for when his explanation clicked. He threw his arms around animatedly, gesturing to the room at large. “Y’know, like more than just the usual?” El nodded, her features going soft.

“Mike,” she took his other hand, so that now both of their hands were grasped in their lap. “I think it’s always special, greater, better when we’re together.”

He was such a sap, because he felt his heart soften at her words. _Gone for her_, a voice in his head said, but he found that he didn’t mind. If this was what it meant to be gone for her, he was perfectly happy with that. Because she was smiling at him and her dimple was becoming visible, and he wanted to kiss it.

“Promise?” he asked, only feeling slightly silly because she _beamed_ at him.

“Promise,” she nodded, leaning over, crossing the distance between them, and pressing her lips against his. He felt his chest warm. When they pulled apart, she pressed her nose against his for a second, giving him an Eskimo kiss like he’d taught her forever ago.

“It’s like, I wanna do _everything_ with you, El,” Mike confessed, pulling back to look at her and taking her hand back into his own.

“Me too,” El agreed. “I can’t help it.”

“Yeah, yeah, me neither,” Mike agreed. “Can you blame me?” His voice was teasing, and El gave him her characteristic quizzical look. “’Cause you’re so beautiful, El. And when we kiss it’s like,” Mike searched for the right word, afraid he was going to start babbling. “Fireworks? And like the _most amazing_ thing ever.”

“And warm,” El added, her smile still just as big. “And happy.”

“Yeah, happy,” Mike smiled back at her. “How about we just take it slow?” Mike suggested, rubbing circles with his thumb against her hand. “We don’t have to rush into anything.”

“Yeah,” El nodded. “I like that.”

“Like we can work up to it all,” Mike continued. “And when it happens it happens.”

“It’ll happen when it happens,” El agreed. “I’m just excited,” she added.

He leaned forward once more, pressing his lips firmly against her own. It was a warm and easy slide, and El was exactly right—it was a complete body experience that left him completely warm and happy. He sighed against her lips, unable to keep from smiling.

He trusted El; with his entire heart. That will never change. Whether they were fighting Demogorgons or running from the bad men or _this_; discovering and learning everything new together. El made Mike feel brave.

X

The afternoon started like they always did, but El had been waiting all day for Mike to come over, so there was an urgency that she couldn’t ignore.

(There had been a fire in her lower belly that kept growing all day. When she thought about him—about his shiny black hair and bright onyx eyes and the way it felt to be held by him—the fire burst into fireworks in her chest. It was hard to explain, but she worked hard to pull words and phrases together that she had been learning.

She couldn’t stop thinking about him, no matter how hard she tried to distract herself. Over the past several weeks she had begun feeling closer to Mike than she ever knew was possible. She had never imagined that things could become _more_ or _better_ than they had been the day she’d met him, and he’d taken her home with him. But, somehow, everyday got better and brighter. Especially lately.)

She wanted to feel him everywhere and all at once. She wasn’t even sure what that meant, but she was sure of it regardless. Mike was a warmth against her, and she didn’t want it to stop.

So she tugged him with her towards her room. She had his wrist in her grasp, and she could feel him at her heels. She had to turn to smile at him, as it was too hard to not want to see him smile back. His answering smile—as she’d imagined—was bright, pushing his cheeks up. It was her favorite smile, one that she loved to prompt out of him as much as she could.

Several strides later she pulled him towards her bed. They sat down together, facing one another just as they had many times before. But the butterflies and fireworks in her body felt more intense than they ever had before. She wanted him.

They met in the middle, lips colliding instantly. Her eyelids fluttered closed as she focused on kissing her boyfriend. She reached a hand up to cup his cheek. Their lips met together again and again. Her other hand found the hem of his shirt, slipping underneath to rub at his hip. Her touch must’ve surprised him, as he pulled away from her.

“How do you know what to do?” He asked breathlessly. His chest was rising and falling rapidly, and El felt a sense of pride at having that kind of effect on him.

“It’s easy,” El ran her hand down his side. “You just do what feels right.”

Mike seemed more bewildered by that comment, clearly frustrated at himself.

“You’re thinking too hard,” El murmured, because she’d always thought Mike knew everything, but maybe he didn’t. (It was kind of clear to her now, that maybe she knew this a little more. Maybe this wasn’t something you could learn from a book, but something only experience taught you. And she loved every moment they shared, eager to do more and share more. She loved learning with him, and so much of it felt so natural. It was something she could teach him.)

“Just follow my lead,” El told him, her hand tangled in his hair at the back of his neck now pushing him towards her. He came easily, and El couldn’t help but smile. She loved this part of him; this sweet and kind and soft and willing part of him.

“Okay,” he murmured quietly, and El had to remember what she had said.

She pulled him even closer, before firmly pressing her lips against his. She wasn’t soft or gentle; didn’t want to be. There was a fire in her belly that was lighting through her veins. As Mike kissed back fervently, El felt like her heart might beat out of her chest.

El wanted her hands everywhere. She couldn’t get enough of him, couldn’t stop her wandering hands. Her fingers raked through his soft hair, then trailed down to his shoulders. She griped fistfuls of his shirt. And then she wanted to feel the soft skin that wrapped around the jut of his collarbone. She ran her pointer finger along his collarbone, and he jumped at the sensation. But he didn’t stop her. Which gave her more bravery.

She slid her hands down his sides. His own hands were at her waist, and she wanted to feel his hips, too. His sides were sensitive, so he jumped, but it was towards her, as opposed to away. He was practically in her lap, and so she tugged him even closer. The small bit of space between them was too much.

She grabbed his waist, squeezing his hips. As she did so, his hands squeezed her back. And it was bliss. Her lips fell away from his, their eyes meeting in the process. His eyes were so warm, though they looked differently than she could ever remember.

“El,” he murmured, but there was an edge to his voice. Not a bad edge, but something with a hidden meaning laced in. A something that made her heart beat faster.

“Mhm?” She prompted him, hoping he’d say more.

His answer was nonverbal, instead he placed a rough kiss against the slide of her jawline. She gasped, gripping his waist harder in her grasps. Her action seemed to spur him on, as he continued placing warm and firm kisses down her jawline.

Her breathing came out in gasps as Mike’s lips slid down to her collarbones. He sucked at the taut skin there, nipping her with his teeth. El let out a shuddering gasp, her hips rolling forward against his own. (Everything felt so new and so _much_, but El wouldn’t change any of it. The moment with Mike felt _special_, like something she didn’t want to end. It was something she wanted to experience and share with him now and possibly forever.)

Mike’s warm breath trailed down her chest when he shoved her shirt to the side, sucking at her shoulder. El tilted her head, her fingers raking through his hair. Mike’s lips continued to leave hard kisses against the top of her chest, though it felt that her shirt was always in the way. She wanted him closer, but the material of her thermal top was constricting.

“Let me,” El gasped out, unfamiliar with the sound of her own voice. It sounded distant to her own ears. “Let me take my shirt off,”

“You sure?” Mike asked, pulling away to search her eyes. She nodded frantically, all the while yanking at the bottom hem. It came off easily, tousling her curls along the way. El giggled at the look that crossed Mike’s face, and how his eyes stayed staring into her own.

“Mike,” she murmured, lips feeling bruised as they pressed together to speak. “It’s okay,”

“Okay,” Mike murmured back, though she wasn’t sure he was aware he’d said anything.

El reached out, grabbed Mike’s hand in her own and guided it to her now bare side. It was so much warmer than before; his hand against her bare skin so much _more_. She shuddered at his touch but held his hand firmly against her. This was what she had been dreaming of. She wouldn’t shy away now.

“Kiss me,” El commanded gently, and that was all it took for Mike to gain his confidence back. He closed the distance between them, pressing his lips to hers again. His thumb rubbed gentle circles against her side, and El melted into him.

Mike pulled away to catch his breath, and El took the opportunity to kiss at his collarbones again. She liked the way his hips jumped when she did it, and how pink his skin got at her attention. She yanked his shirt over his head, suddenly very tired of it being in the way. He somehow looked both smug and surprised. It was an interesting combination, one that she was happy to see. She reattached her lips to his collarbones, wanting to make him feel as good as he had made her. She bit at him lightly, as it caused the biggest reaction.

She was suddenly tired of sitting up. It caused a distance between them that she wanted to avoid. El laid down on her bed, pulling Mike down with her. It was anything but graceful, as she accidentally elbowed Mike on the slide down. She apologized with a kiss, one that he returned fervently.

The pair laid on their sides, facing one another. It was a bit difficult to get to the top of his chest this way—a part of him she was quickly becoming addicted to—so she propped herself up onto her elbow to get better leverage. From there, she licked down his neck and attached her lips to his collarbone once more.

“El,” his voice was out of breath, but it still sounded so lovely to her. So she bit at his collarbone again, sucking as she did so. She loved how his hips collided with her own when she did so. She loved how warm it made her. The pressure of him against her center was overwhelming, but she didn’t want it to stop. She could feel herself growing wetter—something that had been happening a lot lately. She knew what it meant, and she knew she didn’t want to stop. Mike’s pants were tented—something she also knew the meaning of—which gave her a lot of satisfaction. She was happy that she could make Mike feel as good as he made her. She wanted to give Mike _everything_, because he made her feel like she was everything.

El couldn’t focus on everything she was feeling. There was Mike’s lips against her own, his hand at her hip—fingers digging in deliciously and almost painfully—her thigh against him, his thigh against her wet center, and that wasn’t to mention the noises coming out of his mouth. She wanted to memorize every tiny detail, but she settled on remembering what it felt like to build up to their first time. Her lips fell away from his when the pleasure became too much, and her hips jumped at their own accord. She whined at the absolute bliss erupting from her lower abdomen.

“Mike,”

“Yeah, El,” Mike’s voice was encouraging, his hips moving to meet her own. “You’re amazing.”

She wanted to tell him that he was amazing, too, and that she felt better now than she could ever remember feeling. And that she was so in love with him. And that her life was significantly better with him in it. And that she had dreamed of being this close to him. But her mouth couldn’t form those words, too busy whining and murmuring his name when he pressed especially close against her.

There were still layers between them, but El found that she didn’t mind. This was already closer than they ever had been.

His hips stuttered harshly and then stopped, his mouth dropping open, a low groan falling from his lips. This must have been the moment they were working towards, El knew. There was a wet spot on the front of Mike’s pants, and his head was thrown back. It was Mike’s final thrusts that turned El to jelly and lit something within her that she had never experienced. She cried out his name, her own body erupting in an overwhelming feeling of pleasure, bliss and happiness.

Her mind went blank for several minutes. She was only aware of Mike’s arm thrown over her side, his knee brushing her own, and the sound of the pairs heavy breathing. She had her eyes closed, her bottom lip between her teeth, and her thighs were sticky together. She didn’t know if there were adequate words to describe how she felt. (Like warm honey and sunshine; like how she feels after spending the whole day with Mike only intensified.)

She didn’t want to ever move from Mike’s embrace. With his arm around her and her head pressed against his body, she felt a happiness she wanted to bask in forever.

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know what you thought! Reviews make my whole day. Also, I would love to make new friends, so come yell about Mileven with me (or maybe request something!) on tumblr @mikewheeler-lesbian


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